HHH

Hazy, Hot, and Humid. I can't stand it. The day started out breezy and cool, but now you could cut through the air with a knife. I closed up the house and turned on the air.

We finally got our guild raffle quilt finished. I am having tickets printed, and I got wallet photos of the quilt that each member will be given to be used as a sales aid. Who could turn down a chance to win this hand dyed beauty? Okay.. I know a lot of people could, but I have to think positive.

Believe it or not.. this quilt was a pain in the posterior. It isn't that it is a difficult pattern, but we found out on our own that it was very important to keep like colors together in each 1/4 block, or the star would not show, and something that made us have to rip several blocks to re-do was the fact that in each large block, the dark fabric rectangle had to be to the left. You couldn't mess up and have one on the left and one on the right, because then you would have 2 darks together and it would throw everything else off. I never would have guessed when I started it with the help of a few guild members. It was a surprise project for the guild because everyone is always so busy, we decided to ask a few people if they could help us put blocks together. My friend Linda and I cut all of the fabric, and didn't pay attention how we stacked it back together, only to realize when we started, that like colors had to go together. There was something like 25 gradations of fabric. So we spent a large part of our day sorting all of the colors back into the correct piles (It looks like a scrappy quilt, but it isn't) Anyway, for some reason, we thought we could get the top together in a day. That didn't happen. But we had a guild member that quilted it for us, and another that hand sewed down the binding. I still need to make a label for it. I think a good name for the quilt would be "Piecemaker's Puzzle" because it definately was.

Tomorrow I am going to a local NASA grounds with my husband. His professional accountant society is having a picnic get together. I'm hoping for rain...... LOTS of rain. I'm just saying.

TUESDAY

Hi Everyone,
Just checking in so you know that I am still kicking out here. I didn't even turn on my computer yesterday. Nothing much going on here. I just made raffle tickets for my guilds raffle quilt. I decided to go with a generic ticket with just the name of the guild, and a place for people to write their names. I can get ten on a page like this, and I don't know about you, but I know that I never hang onto the stub with all of the other information anyway. We will get more tickets for less money this way, and we can use them for another quilt. Much less tacky than the little tickets you get on a roll. I need to get the quilt outside and get a photo for prints for the members.

I have to get all of this finished before my co-worker goes on her 3 week vacation. If I survive doing all of the work by myself, I doubt I will want to go out and do this stuff the week I will have free before our September meeting.

I also have to put the challenges I have planned down on paper and plan how much money I will need for prizes. Then there is next year's raffle quilt to work on. But the good thing is, I don't have to work on programs anymore as I am no longer vice president.

I finished a pair of Lime Green socks and I am working on an aqua pair with lots of overlapping cables, and I think I may run out of yarn..that's a first for me. But they were too difficult, and they are too wonderful.. I won't rip them out, I will knit as far as I can on the second sock and then figure something out.

I finished the little bag the next day after sewing through my finger, but spent the weekend finishing "The Deathly Hallows". I went to see the movie again today after I got off of work. I ran into one of my daughter's friends who let me in free.. she is a manager. I liked it much better when I could concentrate. I was in the back row by myself. There were no groups of gum popping constantly talking teenagers sitting around me this time.

I hope that you all have a great week. I talk to you all soon!

HARRY POTTER

I went yesterday and picked up The Deathly Hallows. I just finished it a few minutes ago. It ended very nicely. Tied up all of the loose ends. Until nearly the last, I thought it might go a different way. I would love to talk about it, but I don't want to give anything away.
I started listening to it at first, but tired of having the earphones in my ears. Now that I am finished with reading the book, I can listen to it again at a leisurely pace. I hope that everyone who loves the world of Harry Potter, enjoys this last book, as much as I have.

CAUTION: NEVER MIX:

THIS:



AND:
OR YOU MAY END UP WITH THIS:

Good thing I don't bother with manicures or sewing over my finger would have ruined it. After several attempts by first me and then the ER doc to pull the needle out with forceps and other tools, he finally yanked it out with pliers. It broke off at the top of my nail and extended through the bottom of my finger. I'm good to go now, and will be watching America's Got Talent with my knitting from now on.

FEAR OF HEIGHTS?

My friend and I were talking the other day about our fear of climbing ladders. I said I didn't know if it was the fear of heights or the fear of falling that bothered me the most. I can step up on a stool and get a weird feeling so maybe it is the fear of falling. But, maybe not. Today we stopped by to visit a friend. His wife was my son's 8th grade teacher. She was so nice to him that she was always dear to my heart. When the kids would have special school events, she and her husband would come. Her husband and my husband became friends. Anyway, this man bought an old windmill on the west side of our town and is fixing it up to live in it. It needs A LOT of work.

We were driving by so we stopped to see him. He isn't living there, but was working in it. The first floor will be the living room with a fireplace and bathroom, go up a flight of stairs to the kitchen, the master bedroom will be on the 3rd floor, and the guest room on the 4th floor, the 5th floor has eight round windows, and the roof area will be for storage. All of the rooms are round.. obviously, and the 2 ft (for now) wide concrete staircase winds up the wall with a landing on each floor. Let's start with the stairs. really narrow and no hand rail yet. We walked out onto the platform and I could see the ground through the floor. I had a real sense of near panic there, and I didn't stay out long. I managed 3 flights practically crawling up the stairs I finally had my hands on the step ahead of me because there was nothing to hold onto, and I could see all of the way down the sides of the steps., leaving each floor behind me. I thought it would be harder going down, but Bill walked in front of me and let me hold his hand. Wasn't that sweet? Made it a lot easier to get down.

While this is a very cool building, I can't even imagine wanting to live somewhere that every room is a different floor. Of course, I have bad knees, but this couple isn't that much younger than I am. The windmill blades will be on the opposite side from the pictured side, and will generate all of the power needed for the home.

When I was a kid, we used to visit an uncle. The youngest brother of my great grandmother. He lived far into the mountains, and the only way to get to his house was to drive through a creek, or walk across a swinging bridge

This is the bridge, which is still in use. We actually found the farm a couple of years ago. It used to be if you stood to the left of the bridge, you could see the big farmhouse, but it has grown up a lot in the last 40 years. Imagine that. When I was little, we had to walk across that bridge, and it always scared the daylights out of me. I think that is why I don't like unstable things that are far above the ground. As a matter of fact, I don't like driving across bridges if I can see the water. I do try to keep my eyes open though!

TRAPUNTO COURTESY OF PATSY THOMPSON PART 2

IF IT'S NOT ONE THING, IT'S ANOTHER

Happy Saturday everyone! I woke up during the night long enough to utter an expletive when I felt my glasses on the bed next to me

I either had them on my chest while I was reading, or they fell off of the shelf by my bed. I figure I didn't put them on the shelf. I managed to not damage these fragile type glasses for 2 years now I have to go get a new pair. Thankfully, I actually have a backup pair of lineless bifocals in the same perscription. They are darker half frames. It would be pretty bad if I didn't have an extra pair.

Then when I let Sam out, a racoon had gotten into my garbage AGAIN and I had to pick up all of the garbage strewn all over the yard. It is nice having all of these woods around me, but the critters that live in them start to be a pain in the rear after a while.

Then to top it off, I run out of bobbin thread while sewing the binding on a queen size quilt. Luckily, my Pfaff warns me before this happens, and I managed to get two sides finished before it ran out completely.

I hope that your day starts better than mine did!

IF HARRY POTTER WAS CLIFF NOTES....

Then he would be the new Order of the Phoenix movie. I am eternally glad that I love to read, because the new movie is like a Cliff's Notes version of the book. I'm not saying that I didn't enjoy the movie.. even with the gum popping irritating group of teenagers sitting near me.. When they made the movie, they took some of the high spots of the book, and didn't delve into anything deeper. I realize that the movie is never as good as the book.. ever, but I must say that this is the only Potter movie that has left me feeling like they really didn't give me enough. I can't believe how tall the kids are getting. The kid that plays Neville is a head taller than Harry now. And the Weasley twins are even taller! And when Sirius was killed, it made me remember how bad I feel for poor Harry. I so hope that it all ends well for him!!

And, I'm happy to say that I found out that Jim Dale IS reading the U.S. audio book. I saw JKR in a photo with an English actor and it said that he was reading book seven. I saw a news release that said Jim Dale was hosting a midnight event at Barnes and Noble for book seven, and mentioned he was the U.S. reader. I wonder why they do two different versions? He does a great job!

HAPPY SECOND BLOGAVERSARY

Two years ago on July 4th, I obviously didn't have anything better to do because I decided to start a blog. And the rest is history. I hope that you have enjoyed reading it, like I have enjoyed reading many of your blogs. Have a great holiday!!

IN HONOR OF JULY 4TH

I'm proud to say that I am a descendant of Scotch-Irish pioneers that settled in Appalachia in the early 1700's, and helped form this country by fighting for independence in the Revolutionary War, and later in the Civil War

 This is William Henry Osborne, my Great Great Great Grandfather who died in a battle near Winchester Va. At the time, his wife was pregnant with what would be my Great Great Grandfather

This is my father James who joined the Army Air Corp as a teenager and fought in Korea. After being discharged from the Army, he joined the Navy. I was born in a Navy hospital, my mother worked for the Navy department at the pentagon, and many of my uncles served in the Navy.

Another uncle was an Air Force tail gunner in Korea. My uncle Fred was an Army Green Beret Medic that died in Vietnam.

My strong mountain ancestors left the comfort and seclusion of their mountain homes to serve our country, many of them had seldom left their home, let alone end up in a foreign country far away. I'm proud of their sacrifice and the sacrifice of their wives and children. They have given me and my children the freedom that we enjoy today. Precious freedom that we should all be vigilant to protect so that everything they fought for was not in vain.
I have made, or helped to make a few patriotic type quilts. The only one I still own is this one

This little log cabin flag was donated to my guild auction

I pieced this flag with New York Beauty blocks after September 11th. It was quilted by a guild friend, and the applique was done by another guild friend. It was auctioned at our guild auction in October of that year and the proceeds went to an education fund for the children who lost parents on Sept. 11th.

Me and several members of my guild got together and made this quilt for a Master Sgt. who was retiring from the Army (maybe Marines). Anyway, he helped coordinate distribution of Home of the Brave quilts to a Reserve Unit who lost many members in Iraq a couple of years ago.

Our country has faults, what country doesn't? But I still think it is the greatest country in the world. A place where if you work hard enough you can make your dreams come true. A country that you see others coming to build a new life. America is not a country that sees it's citizens fleeing for more freedom and prosperity somewhere else. There are few countries in the world that enjoy the freedoms that we have in America.

America is a place where you have the freedom to worship God or not, And in America you have the freedom to worship whatever God you choose without the fear of being martyred for it. America is a country where you can speak out against the government without the fear of being killed for it. Women come to America because they are free to be educated, to dress as badly as they want, and vote for whatever slimy politician that they like the best.

America is a country where, everyone has the freedom to make his or her own choices and mistakes and still have the opportunity for redemption and the opportunity to rebuild their lives.

I love my country. With all of it's problems, I wouldn't want to live anywhere else. I hope that when you are enjoying this special holiday with your families, you will reflect on the sacrifices of many who came before you. the men, women and their children who sacrificed so much so that we can enjoy what we have today. Don't take their sacrifices for granted.

Be vigilant to protect your freedom because there are many in the world that would like nothing better than to take that freedom from you.

Have a Happy Independence Day!!